Piano Man
by NeverEndingNonsense
Summary: Artemis gets a job playing piano at a bar. Song fic to Billy Joel Piano Man. Rather depressing, it follows the song almost exactly. :COMPLETE: R


**A/N**: Written in about an hour, damn plot bunny attacked me while I was driving to the store, when I heard this song a movie just went off in my mind. And here it is. I guess…well meh, you decide if it's good or not. I found it way harder to write then I though. I wanted it to follow the lyrics almost exactly so there. Also I'm sorry about my last fic and that little issue with ch. 5 it was a word document mix up.

**Disclaimer**: Still don't own Artemis or anything that came out of Eoin Colfer's mind...its his...and I don't own Billy Joel's smarts either...gosh this makes me feel so worthless...I wish I owned something cool...

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Artemis walked into the bar, the little bell above the door giving a half hearted jingle. He made his way slowly over to his post and sat on the stole, pushing his hair out of his eyes. He looked around slowly his eyes half lidded. The bar was dim and men and women of all sizes sat around talking, laughing, drinking, whatever. Glasses tinked together and the slight, soft slosh of alcohol being poured was the current tune of this place. He sighed lightly bringing his fingers down onto the keys, his keys. He softly depressed a key in testing and the crowd silenced, all eyes facing him. He smiled slightly as a man approached him and sat a drink on top the piano. 

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday  
The regular crowd shuffles in  
There's an old man sitting next to me  
Making love to his tonic and gin

"Evening Artemis." Was all he said before walkingaway. Artemis sipped his drink and turned back to the piano, stirring up a melody from deep inside his heart. He closed his eyes and leaned slightly, playing whatever came to his fingers. An older man at the bar turned around at the sound of Artemis' playing. His hat hid most of his face, but that didn't matter, most men here were shady. His voice was gruff when he spoke, and slightly slurred.

He says, "Son, can you play me a memory?  
I'm not really sure how it goes  
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete  
When I wore a younger man's clothes"  
La la la, de de da  
La la, de de da da da

He requested that Artemis play a melody. One that he used to know. The man hummed softly and Artemis smiled a sad smile, playing what the man had hummed and going on from where the man left off. The old ache came back to Artemis' heart as he played the tune for the old man; it seemed familiar yet so distant.

Sing us a song, you'rethe piano man  
Sing us a song tonight  
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody  
And you've got us feelin' alright

The chatter that had engulfed the bar earlier dissipated as Artemis continued to play. The place seemed to calm as the sad music drifted to their ears. It was always like this. As the bar tender approached, Artemis looked up from his keys.

The man, well…Artemis knew him well. He was a funny guy, and friendly. Yet if you looked close you could see it in his eyes. He wanted to get out of here, as did most. He slid a drink down to Artemis, the usual. The kind he had been getting for Artemis since he started, on the house…completely normal. He patted Artemis on the shoulder and walked away, back to work, the sad look in his eyes still. Artemis played with one hand as he sipped at the strong alcohol, wishing for change…for something new.

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine  
He gets me my drinks for free  
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke  
But there's someplace that he'd rather be  
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."  
As a smile ran away from his face  
"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star  
If I could get out of this place"  
Oh, la la la, de de da  
La la, de de da da da

Artemis' fingers graced the keys smoothly as his eyes scanned the room. So many people he knew. The regulars. The closest to friends he had. Two men in the corner were talking about their lives, not very happy lives. And the waitress who was here so she could pay for her studies, brought them two more shots and gave them the same sad smile that everyone in the bar seemed to share. In the corner a business man sucked on his joint, the smoke drifting to the ceiling in lazy wafts. Artemis let a sigh escape him, as he focused back on his playing.

Now Paul is a real estate novelist  
Who never had time for a wife  
And he's talkin' with Davy who's still in the Navy  
And probably will be for life  
And the waitress is practicing politics  
As the businessmen slowly get stoned  
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness  
But it's better than drinkin' alone

It was an ok crowd, for Saturday. The manager came out and winked at Artemis as a new comer dropped a few dollars into Artemis' jar.

"What you doin' here boy…you could be big."

Sing us a song, you're the piano man  
Sing us a song tonight  
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody  
And you've got us feelin' alright

Artemis shook his head and thanked the man. For he knew he was keeping the bar alive. He liked his job and he liked the bar…he just didn't like the memories it brought back. He scanned the room once more and picked up the music, trying to make it sound less sad, but all he ended up doing was driving the feeling of despair deeper into the souls of bar occupants. As the clock ticked on, later and later, Artemis played, lulling the crowd and himself.

The music flowed from his fingers, like the tears that it inspired. Tears that were always threatening Artemis, stinging his eyes.

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday  
And the manager gives me a smile  
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see  
To forget about life for awhile  
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival  
And the microphone smells like a beer  
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar  
And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"  
Oh, la la la, de de da  
La la, de de da da da

Closing time approached and the crowd thinned, each one patting Artemis on the back and dropping spare change, or a dollar into his jar. Artemis played until only the waitress, the bar tender, the two men in the corner and the old man at the bar remained. He let the song end naturally and downed the last of his tonic.

His buddy, the bar tender waved goodbye to Artemis as he got up and walked toward the door.

"Night Artemis. Thanks."

The old man at the bar looked up and tilted his hat at Artemis, a familiar glint in his eyes. Artemis smiled at the man and tilted his head in return. As he stepped out into the cold October night, and walked down the road toward home, Artemis hummed the tune he'd been playing all night. They still didn't know…he missed her too.

Sing us a song, you're the piano man  
Sing us a song tonight  
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody  
And you've got us feelin' alright

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**A/N**: If you can't figure it out, Holly is dead, the man at the bar was Root, the bar tender was Foaly, the waitress was Lilli Frond, the two men in the corner were Trouble and Grub, Grub was the one "still in the navy" and the man "getting stoned" was Chix Verbil. And they were all there because Holly died and they missed her, its after the mind wipe so they're all in disguise, they don't know Artemis recognizes them. 


End file.
